JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION
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- English Instructor (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe)
- Berlitz Japan, Inc. (ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社), Kansai
- Salary: ¥125,000 ~ ¥250,000 / Month
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- FT English Teachers for Kids - Osaka
- Kohgakusha Co., Ltd. （株式会社興学社）, Osaka
- Salary: ¥255,000 ~ ¥275,000 / Month Travel Expenses, Encouragement of Japanese learning*
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- Translator
- ZAIHON, Inc. (日本財務翻訳株式会社), Tokyo
- Salary: ¥6.0M / Year Negotiable
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smithinjapan
How are they going to protest? by naming all the islands? oh wait, they JUST agreed to do this and now China is going to drill unilaterally soon after. Hmmm... methinks you can't have the two nations working together until there is a little more diplomacy, and both of these children have made it quite clear they are not ready to act like adults.
Sadly, if push comes to shove here, there's really nothing they can do about it physically -- they can only make gestures like further naming them, or protest from Tokyo while China starts drilling, probably with some 'coast guard' ships nearby (hey, if Japan can do it, why not others?).
Posted in: Japan protests to China over undersea gas drilling
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smithinjapan
"Japan has given mixed signals on the sanctions. Last mointh, Azumi declared that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran after meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, but the next day, other officials, including Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, said economic implications need to be considered."
That's being rather euphemistic, I'd say. Azumi did indeed declare that Japan would move quickly to reduce its oil imports from Iran and the next day Gemba and Noda said it was 'simply Azuma's opinion' and did a 180. Japan wants to have its cake and eat it too, and suddenly their tough talk towards Iran (or joining in the tough talk, anyway) has taken a back seat to wanting 'peace and diplomacy'. Japan can either stick up to the US and stick to their guns (something they have never really done) and have their banks banned as a result, or cut oil imports and go with most of the rest of the world on the sanction path. You can't say, "We agree to sanctions on Iran, but will not take part, but we do not think our banks should be banned as a result -- only the banks of other nations that don't take part in the sanctions!"
Japan's probably rushing to get oil from elsewhere so that they can say, "It was always our intention to lessen imports from Iran" and pretend to mean it.
Posted in: Japan, U.S. to discuss Iran sanctions
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smithinjapan
Nicky: "Even the chairman of the keidanren is saying it! But nobody is actually DOING anything about it!"
You sound like you're surprised by that. It's ALWAYS "Let's talk about this and that and pass some legislation but leave it up to the local governments/companies to follow it or not" lip service and no action here.
Posted in: Japan job treadmill grinds down workers and firms
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smithinjapan
DS: "The President will be in for a tough race if\when Romney gets the nomination. Mitt is intelligent, motivated, and has a clear lead over the president in the area of economics."
Not at all, especially if you take into account that the man MUCH richer than pretty much all Americans by percentile but pays less taxes per capita than your average Joe. That's going to kill him. He'll have the rich and Mormons on his side, but not much more. What's more, so many of his facts about his job creation record and what not are absolutely not true, and he can't explain his ideas on how to improve things -- only attack using negativity -- he's going to get whipped in debate.
Posted in: Romney wins big in Florida; tells Obama to get out of the way
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smithinjapan
In Japanese restaurants or restaurants in Japan? :)
I'm assuming the latter, but it still really depends on the restaurant. On the whole I'd say most Japanese waiters/waitresses do a good job. They're usually paid minimum (no tips), or slightly higher, but are quite professional, and since they're not getting tips they don't usually approach you every five minutes to ask how you're doing.
Not that the latter's bad, if you like the more 'folksy' Western style, and it can even be uncomfortable to raise your voice and call out 'sumimasen' for Western people in some cases. If there's one area I think waiters here can improve on it's the ability to paraphrase and ad-lib. I hate it when they stick to a script they cannot veer from if the customer asks a difficult question or can't understand them. I accidentally made a young woman cry when I first came to Japan and visited a McDonald's because I couldn't understand the word "以上" and she literally froze and kept repeating it until she burst into tears? The manager came over and repeated what she said, and then when he saw I couldn't understand he paraphrased so that I could understand. Some can do it, but I often find the staff kind of freeze up like that in similar situations -- or else if they understand something you say in English they break character and start laughing. I know this is due to rather rigid training, though.
Posted in: What do you think of the quality of waiters in Japanese restaurants?
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smithinjapan
They couldn't have tracked him down after 50?
Posted in: Man arrested for calling 110 number 109 times to insult police
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smithinjapan
It's a shame they have this ludicrous 就活 system here. It still utterly baffles me that pretty much their entire third year is spent, not at school, and not studying, but looking for a job when legally they cannot be hired at that time anyway.
Posted in: Japan job treadmill grinds down workers and firms
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smithinjapan
"The projections by the ministry’s National Institute of Population and Social Security Research forecast that Japanese women would on average have just 1.35 babies, well below the replacement rate, within 50 years."
And so what is the government doing to combat this... I mean aside from snide 'baby-machines' remarks and placing the onus on young women to bail out the nation while the old codgers in office take away family tax breaks and increase taxes?
Posted in: Japan's population to shrink two thirds by 2110
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smithinjapan
MaboDofulsSpicy: Conditions in the ship and conditions off the coast of Japan after the tsunami are COMPLETELY different, and while it is sad they are cutting off the search for the MOST part (they're still searching the parts above water), I'm not sure there's anything else they can do. They are searching in corridors completely flooded with rough freezing waters, and full of all sorts of crap floating around that could crash into and kill them, not to mention the precarious balance of the ship -- if it slid off the island while they were in there they might not be able to get out. You really can't compare the two at all, save that both involve water.
So again, it's sad, but I'm not really sure what else they can do.
Posted in: Divers abandon search for missing at Italy cruise ship wreck
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smithinjapan
ElvanSilvan: "The area may have been decontaminated, but how about the plants, the soil, the air? The mayor seems willing to risk the town's health and future just so that he can start collecting taxes in his area again."
Exactly, and there's definitely money at stake more than anything else. For starters, these people returning home would mean less payouts that have to be made by TEPCO and the government, and I've no doubt for this reason alone the government is pushing local governments to call their people home. Local governments in the are probably being threatened by budget cuts if they don't retain a certain population. And while I'm pretty sure the government wouldn't cut their residence tax, there's the possibility that the people evacuated will complain about having to pay it.
Safety is never a priority for these guys above profit... NEVER. Just look at all the incidents of "oops... guess we shouldn't have allowed that gravel to be shipped out of the (later made) exclusion zone (but we had to because we should all feel sorry for the rubble company). Oops! Guess maybe we shouldn't have allowed so-and-so to sell crops from the contaminated areas... sorry for putting it in your kids' school lunches!" And lest we forget all the money being spent on personal interests, unrelated programs, and public works' projects that could go towards free health care for the kids (which they can't afford!) or finally getting people out of shelters.
Posted in: Mayor of village near Fukushima plant urges residents to return to homes
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smithinjapan
Agreed... I have no idea what 'good quality electricity' means, as though electricity 'made in China' might be of inferior quality of something. Sorry, but it's the SYSTEM and power grid, not to mention the companies themselves, that are of a superior or inferior nature, and TEPCO has proven that they are infact quite inferior... and just plain stupid to boot.
Posted in: Cabinet OKs bill to cap nuclear reactor life
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smithinjapan
I'm against spreading it, since I've no doubt it would be for a quick money grab from local governments who accept it, and I also don't like the, "We should support the people of Fukushima by sharing the rubble" kind of 'logic'. However, if they build some very safe shelters, and everyone in the area gets full disclosure on what's to be housed there and they agree, I don't see why not. They just shouldn't be FORCED to accept it, or not told that the local government has accepted it (as when Hashimoto accepted a bunch on behalf of Osaka -- without telling anyone first).
Posted in: Should prefectures outside the Tohoku area accept tsunami rubble for incineration or disposal?
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smithinjapan
“Those of you who can return now, please do so. If you are still worried, you can wait a little until you feel comfortable.”
Awww... how kind of him not to FORCE the people home... yet. If the people are smart they'll stay away, for GOOD! Anyone who returns home that closely to the plant will in 20 years time hear a "Doh! I guess it wasn't so decontaminated at all. Don't blame us, blame the government of 20 years ago. Moushiwake arimasen!"
Posted in: Mayor of village near Fukushima plant urges residents to return to homes
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smithinjapan
"After his re-election Monday, Kitanoumi told reporters that he will concentrate on moral education for wrestlers in order to win back sumo fans who have left the sport in recent years due to a number of scandals involving gambling, fixed bouts and drugs."
Bla bla bla bla bla.... until the next scandal. Only in Japan can you resign to 'take responsibility' then get your job back soon after. Nothing will change, save he'll encourage everyone to be more careful and not get caught.
Posted in: Kitanoumi re-elected Japan Sumo Association chief
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smithinjapan
"The cabinet approved bills Tuesday aimed at bolstering nuclear safety regulations following last year’s Fukushima disaster, including one that would put a 40-year cap on the operational life of nuclear reactors."
Just paying themselves lip service, as usual, given that companies can apply for an extension (and I'm willing to bet it won't be some 70-page application manual that's hard to understand, either. More like just an envelope that says, "Stick bribe money in here"). People will be almost 100% against restarting the reactors, but despite the law which states they must get the consent of the local community they'll start them up anyhow, saying, "We seek your understanding on this issue."
Posted in: Cabinet OKs bill to cap nuclear reactor life
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smithinjapan
"the world’s worst since Chernobyl a quarter of a century ago—has not directly claimed any lives."
Excuse me? Yes, it HAS directly claimed lives. Four people have died so far while working clean up. Not necessarily the result of radiation, no, but they died as a result of being there and working too hard -- which means being there to work on the disaster.
You watch... deaths in the future that are a direct result of this nuclear catastrophy and going to be pinned on something lese. Hirano is already setting this up when he says "sickness/injury caused by the Fukushima incident will be harder to judge in the future", or something near that.
Posted in: IAEA green lights Japan's reactor tests
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smithinjapan
pamelot: "There never seems to be anything foreign promoted in Japan, that doesn't also have to include someone/thing, Japanese."
You're right about that, although in most cases there is usually a Japanese present who has something to do with the movie -- like maybe their voice in the dubbing.
In any case, I had never heard of this movie, Swedish/European/or American version. Perhaps I'll watch it when it comes out on DVD.
Posted in: Enter the dragon
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smithinjapan
“It was the first time I’ve put my hair up like that. We will show you the cool and mature side of AKB.”
Ummm, no it won't.
Posted in: AKB48 get a new look for men's suit commercial
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smithinjapan
It only took a few weeks to SAY they're going to come up with a speedy response, so I'm guessing some time within the next few decades they'll actually carry out what they said they would.
Posted in: Noda says gov't will quickly identify sites using contaminated crushed stone
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smithinjapan
zichi: "Basically, TEPCO and the government want to find ways to reduce the ¥billions of compensation claims they face."
BINGO!! And if they're smart they'll make people sign contracts that they cannot later sue the power company and or government when they become sick, as a prerequisite to going home. Anything in their power to deny the actual consequences of their actions.
Posted in: Scientists studying effects of radiation on flora, fauna in Fukushima